How to use offline marketing to support your online brand

With more and more companies building digital brands and trading via the internet, it can be easy to forget how effective offline marketing can be – especially when used in conjunction with online strategies. A well-rounded, multi-faceted approach can improve your reputation and increase turnover, so here’s how to combine these two very effective marketing methods.

Make the most of tried and tested methods

It’s no secret that we live in a digital era, but tried and tested marketing methods such as flyer printing from Helloprint and business card distribution are excellent ways to get your name out in the big bad world of business. They’re ideal for companies trying to drum up custom in their local area and can even be handed out at tradeshows and other industry-specific events. Printed marketing materials have been around for years and as leaflets can be pinned to a noticeboard they’re a great alternative to costly digital pop-up ads which might just last a second.

What’s more, even if you’re an online-only company trading solely over the internet, you can still use physical printouts to promote what you do. After all, if you see a sign for pizza in the street, you can then go online and order it that night – the trick is to plant the idea in people’s heads and make it easier than ever for them to make an order. Whatever you do, however, make sure your contact details are correct, as one URL spelling error on a business card could cost you dearly.

Attend tradeshows and other networking events

The digital market is saturated with businesses looking to survive and often sitting behind a computer plugging away isn’t going to make you stand out from the crowd. Instead, it’s a good idea to get yourself out into the entrepreneurial world and attend tradeshows and other networking events in a bid to expand your professional network. In business, it’s often not what you know but who you know, meaning just one chance meeting could open up new doors or be the start of an exciting opportunity you never saw coming.

Attending lectures, seminars, breakfast mornings, happy hour drinks, workshops and even signing up to expat-focused sites like Internations if you’re based abroad are all great ways to meet new people and keep up to date with industry-specific news. Talking with like-minded individuals will not only give you new ideas to take online but you should also be able to ask and receive advice over issues that are troubling you, helping you to see things from a different perspective.

Cold calls

If the thought of calling up random people and trying to sell your products makes you go cold – fear not! While some companies benefit from targeting large numbers of people and speaking to individuals of multiple demographics, you might prefer calling those who have expressed interest in a product via email or have taken part in a questionnaire. Providing you gather data cleverly, you can then target who you want to call in a friendly and approachable way with the view of being as helpful as possible to those who are almost certainly interested in what you do. This is a simple way of combining offline with online marketing and can help secure a purchase.

Having an online brand is great, especially in an age where people want to buy things with just a few clicks of a button. That said, offline methods can really help give your business a boost, so don’t rule them out.